OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has blasted Son Heung-Min for ‘conning’ the referee during Manchester United’s 3-1 win at Tottenham.
And the Red Devils boss believes ‘the game has gone’ after his side had a goal ruled out by VAR after the incident involving Spurs ace Son and Scott McTominay.
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Edinson Cavani thought he had put United ahead in London on Sunday during a tense first half.
But the goal was ruled out when referee Chris Kavanagh was instructed to review the build-up to the goal on his touchline monitor.
Replays showed Son collapsing to the ground after being brushed accidentally in the face by Scott McTominay, as the South Korean made a half-hearted attempt at a challenge.
Son then stayed down, apparently in pain, as Cavani converted Paul Pogba’s smart pass.
Five minutes later he gave the visitors even more reason to fume when he put Spurs ahead.
However, a second-half capitulation from the hosts allowed United to score three for the victory.
But despite the result, Solskjaer was far from happy with VAR’s decision about the disallowed goal.
And the Norwegian tactician also took aim at Son for his perceived overreaction to McTominay’s wayward hand.
Solskjaer told Sky Sports: “The game has gone, absolutely gone. If that’s a clear and obvious error, it’s one he [the ref] had to look at.
MARK HALSEY’S VIEW
EDINSON CAVANI should not have had a first-half goal disallowed at Tottenham.
I felt Scott McTominay did not commit a foul on Son Heung-Min in the build-up to Cavani’s strike.
It was a slight hand-off by the Manchester United midfielder, the sort you see in every football match and nowhere near enough contact to force the Spurs forward to go down in the matter he did.
The incident wasn’t a clear and obvious error by referee Chris Kavanagh and a subjective decision to allow play to continue.
It was fine for VAR to check Cavani’s resulting goal but official Craig Pawson at Stockley Park should not have recommended a review.
VAR have re-refereed the incident because as soon as Kavanagh went to the monitor he was under huge pressure to overturn his original decision.
Kavanagh should have mentally tough enough to stick with his initial call as he was in an excellent position.
The PGMOL explanation of this incident was nonsense and showed a major lack of understanding of football. Contact in football is not always a foul.
If the officials deemed McTominay was a foul then why wasn’t Paul Pogba punished for a worse action on Serge Aurier earlier in the half?
This is where the inconsistency drives everyone in the game mad and it is no surprise both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said afterwards they don’t understand the decision making anymore.
“It was a perfectly good goal, we shouldn’t be conned. I have to say, if my son stays down for three minutes and needs ten mates to help him, he won’t get any food because that’s embarrassing.
“We weren’t conned, the ref was. That kick-started us. [Before] we played like a team who had played in Europe on Thursday.
“Top reaction, we played great stuff second half. We felt the injustice and showed good character to come back.
“We can’t let those decisions ruin this good season for us. The goals we scored were excellent.
“Cavani showed why he’s a No9. Fred even scores, that shows just how good we were.
“It was an excellent [disallowed] goal. Unfortunately the ref decided we are not playing football or VAR decided. I’m absolutely shocked if that is a foul.”
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